The Exchange, 01/10/18, Condition of the State

Coming up on the Exchange, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds delivers her first state of the state address. Reynolds made it plain she wants to lower taxes and deal with issues like Medicaid privatization.

We hear excepts from the speech and talk with local party leaders about their impressions of the speech. Also, we talk with the two candidates for the Siouxland sixth district seat recently vacated by new State senator Jim Carlin. And we talk with the organizer of a postcard writing campaign that’s helping the democratic candidate in that sixth district house race. That’s coming up on The Exchange, but first, this news.

Intro

Welcome to the Exchange on Siouxland Public Media. I’m Mary Hartnett.

Governor Kim Reynolds delivered a 43-minute Condition of the State Address to a joint convention of the Iowa House and Senate yesterday, the first ever by a woman in the state’s history. She laid out her agenda for the upcoming legislative session, and took the bully pulpit on the issue of sexual harassment

Reynolds said she hopes her governorship will inspire women and girls to pursue their dreams……Then she praised for the condition of the state….and reviewed the accomplishments of Iowa’s republican majority that mostly Republicans applauded: curbing collective bargaining, strengthening gun rights, voter id, and limiting abortions.

But Reynolds went on to outline plans to cut taxes, improve water quality, boost services for the mentally ill, curb opioid abuse that received more bipartisan approval. Reynolds will offer a bill this year to simplify and cut individual income taxes only

REYNOLDS: We have to focus on what we can afford. While I want to reduce our uncompetitive corporate taxes this is not the year.

Reynolds got Democrats on their feet when she admitted mistakes were made when Iowa turned over its health care program for the poor and disabled to for-profit companies. She promised to. Quote…make it right

Reynolds will also launch a new initiative led by acting lieutenant governor Adam Gregg to explore improvements for rural Iowa.

After the speech, I spoke with Woodbury County Republican party member Suzan and Woodbury County Democratic member Jim Mullin.

Speech react

That was Woodbury County Republican party member Suzan and Woodbury County Democratic party member Jim Mullin talking about Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds condition of state speech yesterday.

You’re listening to the exchange, on Siouxland Public Media. I’m Mary Hartnett. This week, former sixth district house representative Jim Carlin was sworn in as the third district senator from Siouxland. The two candidates for his open seat are veteran educator and principal in the Sioux City Community School District Democrat Rita De Jong and a staffer for Republican Iowa US senator Chuck Grassley, Jacob Bossman. The election is next Tuesday, January 16th. De Jong has had strong support from local Democrats as well as a national postcard writing effort

Postcards to Voters

Postcards to Voters founder Tony McMullan says they target special elections around the country where there’s a chance to flip a seat from Republican to Democrat. McMullan says, in Sioux City, the Democrat performed better than expected in a recent special election for the state senate seat won by Republican Jim Carlin. And that boosted hopes that DeJong might capture the House Seat from the GOP.

McMullan says the postcards can make a real difference to average voters who need a little reminder about voting.

Postcards

That was Tony McMullan of Postcards to Voters. The group is targeting races where there is high probability of a democrat taking over a republican seat. The Sixth Iowa house district with Democratic candidate Rita DeJong is one of those seats.

That was Rita DeJong the Democratic candidate in the Siouxland Sioux district special election being held next Tuesday. Her opponent is Jacob Bossman. The Sioux Citian is thirty-seven years old and a longtime aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. Bossman narrowly lost to Jim Carlin in the 2016 primary for the Republican spot on the ballot for the House District 6 seat. Bossman says he would like to use his expertise in finance to deal with the ongoing issues with state budget deficits. He says part of the problem has do with flawed revenue estimates.

Jacob Bossman

Bossman

That was Jacob Bossman, the Republican candidate for the sixth district state house seat based in Siouxland. The special election for that seat is next Tuesday, January 16th.

Related Content

Coming up this week on the Exchange, we talk with a Christian philanthropist who says just handing out charity is not the best way to help people in need. Also, a look at the women who broke the Japanese and Nazi codes in WWII. That and more on the Exchange, on Siouxland Public Media.

Last night Siouxland Republican Party officials nominated State Representative and attorney Jim Carlin for Iowa Senate District 3 special election on December 12th.